How did former Boston Celtics do in 2017-18? Evan Turner got paid, Jared Sullinger dominated in China

The Boston Celtics have rolled their identity over in recent years. And because of that, plenty of previously consequential Celtics are now making a difference somewhere else. Here's a look at how this past season turned out for some of them:

This year must have felt like a decade for Thomas. At this time in 2017, he had just concluded a season that earned him All-NBA Second Team honors and a fifth-place finish in MVP voting. He had overcome a hip injury to help the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals and was hoping for a max contract (or close to it) come 2018 free agency.

That's not going to happen.

The Celtics traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His hip plagued him all season. He played only 32 games. His efficiency plummeted, as did his relationships in Cleveland. He got dealt again mid-season, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers. His main attraction: more his expiring contract than his on-court contributions.

It was quite the fall-off from a point guard who is still only 29 years old.

Johnson was a legitimate defensive presence for the Celtics during the two years leading up to his 2017 free agency, when he signed with the 76ers.

He provided similar benefits to a young Philadelphia team this year but lost some playing time and eventually fell out of the rotation come the middle of the postseason. He played only 17 total minutes during Philly's, five-game, second-round loss to Boston.

Jerebko's operations in Utah weren't all too different from what they were in Boston. Of course, that's no shock.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens may be the game's best X's and O's mind, but Utah coach Quin Snyder is not far off, and Snyder's offenses thrive on ball-movement paired with shooting. In that sense, Jerebko fit in intuitively, knocking down a career-best 65 3-pointers in a limited role.

Jordan Mickey, Miami Heat (With Celtics 2015 to 2017)

Joel Auerbach

Jordan Mickey, Miami Heat (With Celtics 2015 to 2017)

2017-18 statistics: 12.3 minutes, 4.0 points, 3.6 rebounds

Any second-round pick who’s still around three years later is doing something right. But Mickey is holding on by a string.

The undersized shot-blocker got into only 23 games for the Heat this season but actually had a nice stretch from the middle of December into January when coach Erik Spoelstra was giving him time. The good news: Miami is a town of basketball revivals, and Mickey is an athlete who is just 23 years old.

Crowder spent this season going out of, then back into his comfort zone. And it was clear when those moments occurred.

He wasn’t the only one who went to Cleveland in the deal for All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving who struggled there. But he also regathered himself after a mid-season trade to Utah, where he was a mainstay in Snyder’s rotation.